As part of the Thinking Train (TT) Series, the SUSS School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences had the honour of hosting a sharing session by Mr Thomas Koruth Samuel, Consultant to the United Nations on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) on 28th March 2023. Mr Thomas has extensive experience in government and consultancy work with his research focusing on P/CVE in the Southeast Asian context.
Mr Thomas shared pertinent insights in examining pathways to radicalisation and violent extremism, especially in youths. A pertinent theme in P/CVE practice and policy is to reduce the vulnerability of today’s youths to violent extremism and empower them as positive change-makers. To this end, Mr Thomas shared that deconstructing and understanding ways to counter the “terrorist narrative” presents a key strategy in making youths more resilient and less vulnerable to the threat of radicalisation.
Mr Thomas Koruth Samuel shares insights in examining pathways to radicalisation and violent extremism, especially in youths.
Drawing on experiences working with at-risk youths, Mr Thomas presented ways in which terrorist groups entice, recruit and trap vulnerable youths in perpetuating cycles of violence. Oftentimes, through the broad reach of social media platforms, terrorist groups exploit existing social, religious and historical fault lines and offer violence as the sole solution. Mr Lim Zhi Teng, a student from SUSS' Bachelor of Public Safety and Security degree, gained invaluable insights into understanding how terrorist groups exploit narrative development as a strategy.
He shared, “I especially like the way Mr Thomas summarises how terrorists may utilise false dichotomies, such as the idea that the only effective means of resolving injustice is through violence, to convince, attract and draw recruits and further spread their ideology”.
To counter the narrative of violent extremism, Mr Thomas emphasised the need for a “narrative of compassion”. He shared that youths have to be resilient when facing a crisis with the use of compelling and persuasive counter-narratives that promote non-violent alternatives. Another strategy is to encourage youths to think more critically about the compelling narratives that are often perpetuated by terrorist groups.
Mr Muhammad Hazali Hamid, another PSS undergraduate, shared, “Often, we are too focused on the goals that we fail to realise that our methods are counter-productive”.
The session concluded with a question-and-answer segment discussing the inherent challenges in countering violent extremism. These included questions about how state and non-state stakeholders could strike a balance between “hard” and “soft” counterterrorism means. This balance remains critical albeit challenging in sustaining long-term counter-violent extremism efforts, especially amidst the internet’s broad reach as a platform to propagate hate and violence.
Dr Omer Ali Saifudeen, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Minor in Military Studies, presenting Mr Thomas Koruth Samuel with a token of appreciation.
This sharing demonstrated how the development and manipulation of a terrorist narrative plays an important role in the pathway towards radicalisation. Nevertheless, as Mr Thomas has shared, there are useful solutions to counter violent extremism. Such solutions require strong collaborative efforts within communities and between various stakeholders.
We would also like to thank Benjamin Tay Jia Ming from SUSS School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences for capturing this event!